Today in News History

On June 21, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 870, Al-Muhtadi, Muslim caliph passed away. In 1839, Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis, Brazilian author, poet, and playwright (died 1908) was born. In 1882, Lluís Companys, Spanish lawyer and politician, 123rd President of Catalonia (died 1940) was born. In 1898, The United States captures Guam from Spain. The few warning shots fired by the U.S. naval vessels are misinterpreted as salutes by the Spanish garrison, which was unaware that the two nations were at war. In 1900, Georges-Henri Bousquet, French economist and Islamologist (died 1978) was born. In 1947, Fernando Savater, Spanish philosopher and author was born. In 1958, Víctor Montoya, Bolivian journalist and author was born. In 1990, Isabel Pires, Portuguese politician was born. In 1997, Fidel Velázquez Sánchez, Mexican trade union leader (born 1900) passed away. In 2001, A federal grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia, indicts 13 Saudis and a Lebanese in the 1996 bombing of the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia that killed 19 American servicemen. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.